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Parker put it out there bluntly: "Your catchers threw out 19 percent of base stealers, and had an OPS of .591, which was only better than the Mariners. Is addressing that a high priority this offseason?"
Ryan, for his part, was equally blunt: "Yeah, yeah it is."
"We've got to get better in that. Kurt, to his credit, he took the post. You know, durability and taking the field when you're called upon, there's something to be said about that. We got an extreme amount of production out of him two years ago. Nobody was expecting that level going forward because, alright he had an awful good year. But somewhere in between he should settle in.
"But we also need to take a look at that position, we've got to do better.
To some, the whole "he took the post" thing might sound like a lame cop-out, but in this case it holds weight. As far below average as he might have been, Suzuki was the only thing standing between Chris Herrmann or Eric Fryer being in the starting lineup on a regular basis.
Obviously, the entire situation points a major flaw in the roster, and Ryan admits that right up front. There is no question that the Twins will be acquiring at least one catcher in the coming months.
Will they seek a supplement for Suzuki, or a replacement starter?
Ryan's acknowledgement that the true Suzuki is "somewhere in between" the 2014 and 2015 versions doesn't inspire a whole lot of confidence when you consider that his midpoint OPS in those two seasons (.668) would have ranked below all but two qualified MLB catchers this year.
At the very least, the Twins need to bring in someone who can split time with Suzuki, and a lefty-swinging short-term caddy would make sense in that event. Last week, Jon Heyman of CBS Sports said that "Minnesota is expected to look to bring back veteran catcher A.J. Pierzynski," who would fit the bill for a variety of reasons.
Here's the Free Agent blurb on Pierzynski from the Offseason Handbook:
Pieryznski is profiled in the Offseason Handbook alongside a number of other free agent catchers, ranging from Matt Wieters (top) to Geovany Soto (bottom). We also examine numerous potential trade targets while diving deep on payroll, arbitration, 40-man roster decisions, positional depth around the organization, and more.
All of that is in addition to the exclusive interview with Terry Ryan, which touches on every offseason topic and is presented in its entirety within the ebook.
If you're a Twins fan, you don't want to miss out on this. For a limited time, you can preorder your Offseason Handbook for a special price of $4.99, and you'll receive it the moment it releases on November 2nd.
Order today, and get the full offseason experience.
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